For LI housing lottery winners: 'a perfect Thanksgiving'

Tired of forcing her young family to move from rental to rental, Tanya Jones had taken up the habit of praying to God for help buying a home.

So when her name was called Monday in Hempstead Town's lottery-style drawing for affordable housing, Jones buried her face in her hands and shook with joy.

"Yes!" the single mother of three cried out. "God is good."

Jones, 41, was one of six Roosevelt residents given the right to buy new homes in that hamlet for $160,000, half their actual value, as part of the Town of Hempstead's affordable housing program.

The drawing included 17 families, their names written on orange and white lottery balls revolving in a metal cage spinner.

Jones, an accounting specialist at Bemis Labels in Edgewood, jumped from her seat after her ball was chosen and plucked a set of house keys from a basket held by town Supervisor Kate Murray. The key chain revealed her new address on East Clinton Street, near her godfather's home.

"This means stability for my family," Jones said, holding a turkey given to winners. "This is a perfect Thanksgiving."

It's the second housing lottery Jones has won in two months. On Sept. 23, she won rights to a Freeport home in a lottery run by the Community Development Corp.

Jones said she would choose the Roosevelt home because it was closer to family and required fewer fees. The Freeport house would go to an alternate chosen from the drawing if Jones turns it down, said Eileen Anderson, a senior vice president at the Community Development Corp.

Monday's winners had prequalified for the town's affordable housing program. Their income could not exceed $58,000 for a single person and $82,900 for a family of four. They had to show they could make an $8,000 down payment and had enough income for a mortgage.

The colonial-style homes feature 1,500 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms and Energy Star appliances, Murray said.

The kitchens are "bigger than my kitchen," joked Murray, a Levittown resident. "I'm very, very jealous and envious of it."

The homes will be built by Anray Custom Builders in Sea Cliff, and winners should be able to move in by next summer, officials said. The town acquired the parcels for prices ranging from $64,000 to $380,000. Under the program, Anray then paid $500 to buy each property from the town.

The home buyer's purchase price is kept low through federal and state grants and Anray's agreement to limit profits to about $21,000 per home. For tax purposes, the house will be assessed at $160,000 for the next 10 years, Murray said.

Chadine Graham, a retail sales manager with a 5-year-old daughter, said she couldn't afford a home without the program. Graham, who lives with her mother, also chose a home on Clinton Street after her name was drawn Monday - two years after she came up empty in a similar lottery.

"Last time, I left in tears," Graham said, adding her hopes of buying a home seemed all but lost as the economy tumbled and she separated from her husband. "This has been a rough year. I've said a lot of prayers."